American Paradise
Virgin Islands National Park’s hills, valleys and beaches are breath-taking. However, within its 7,000 plus acres on the island of St. John is the complex history of civilizations - both free and enslaved - dating back more than a thousand years, all who utilized the land and the sea for survival.
Features
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A History That Spans Centuries
Civilizations lived on St. John long before the Europeans arrived to the region, as evidenced by the petroglyphs, or rock carvings left by the Tainos.
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Preserving The Submerged Lands
The need to protect reefs from further degradation led to a Presidential Proclamation in January 2001 by President Clinton to create the monument.
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A Great Place For Hiking
Virgin Islands National Park provides 20 trails for hikers. They vary in distances; from .5 to 3 miles. One may hike in wet tropical or dry forest.
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Did You Know?
![view of mangrove trees with their distinctive aireal roots along the shoreline. view of mangrove trees with their distinctive aireal roots along the shoreline.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017054737im_/http://www.nps.gov/akr/images/VIIS_k2hvggmq.jpg)
The mangrove forests found along the coastline in some bays serve as nursery habitats for juvenile fish. These beautiful trees with aerial roots provide filtration of the runoff and reduce the amount of sediment reaching the ocean. The Red Mangrove is one of several species found in the Park.